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ISSUE 11 - March 2008
Over 6,000 Total Ads Listed
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| DREAMS DO COME TRUE |
| By Scott Bixler, Contributing Editor |
| When I was young, my dreams involved piloting WWII era planes low and fast over target areas, releasing all sorts of mayhem on unsuspecting bad guys. I built countless models and hoped someday I would become a pilot so I could fly. As I grew older, the harsh reality of having Type -1 diabetes began to sink in; there was little chance of ever becoming a pilot, much less be able to fly one of my childhood dream planes, the B-25 Bomber. |
A few years ago, I took a new job at the Urethane Supply Company (www.urethanesupply.com) as a product development/marketing person. One of the unique things about this company is that it’s very flexible with its employees and the management allowed me to begin marketing some of its plastic repair products to the aviation industry. Of course, this required us to have a booth at AirVenture, which is where I was introduced to Larry Kelly, the caretaker (owner) of the B-25, Panchito.
Panchito had a seriously damaged turret canopy that Larry wanted to repair. To make a long story short, I repaired the canopy with PlastiFix; making it strong and better looking. (Sport Aviation, Sept., 2007) Upon completion of the job, Larry offered to let me fly as a crew member for the weekend in the Tampa AirFest at MacDill Air Force Base. To a four hour diabetic student pilot (another story), this was a dream come true! |
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The thrill of flying in the B-25 was awesome, but being part of the crew made it even better. As part of the crew I helped get the airplane ready for flight by doing things like lugging cases of oil up a ladder to the access doors on top of the wing, hand turning the prop to oil the cylinders, making sure the ladder was up and the door was closed, along with any other work that was needed. Doing some of the basic work gave me a deeper appreciation for the guys that flew planes like Panchito during the war and for the effort it took to keep them flying.
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| As part of the crew, I was able to have the best seat in the house during the Tampa AirFest… on top of the wing right on the flight-line. When we weren’t watching the show, we were in it! It was difficult to control my giddiness and appear to be calm and cool when we were flying “bombing” runs, “strafing” runs and low level passes. From what I understand, the pyrotechnics were small compared to the percussion of a real bomb, which is amazing because the simulated bombs packed quite a punch when going off just under the airplane. |
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Over the course of the weekend, there were many highlights. I was able to explore each position in the aircraft (except the PIC) and imagine what it must have been like to be assigned to that station, we made low passes over the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where I rode in the nose-gunners position and during a stop before the show, we gave a WWII veteran a ride in the plane. It was an honor to be able to talk to him first hand and listen to his memories as a B-25 pilot. |
| Perhaps the biggest highlight for me was when I was given the chance to take the controls of Panchito and fly from the co-pilot position. Not too many people ever get the chance to fly such an important piece of history and from someone who never thought he would ever have the opportunity to live a childhood dream, I am forever grateful. |
Note: For those who would like to fly in Panchito and are attending the All Warbird Airshow on September 20, 2008 at the Milleville Army Air Force Museum in Milleville, NJ; rides are being offered for $350. Go to www.ragwingsandradials.com for details.
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